Nine new community leaders graduated from the the Spring 2015 Make a Difference! Leadership Academy on May 13, 2015. The Leadership Academy is a 16-week “Grassroots” course design for community residents. Coalition Board of Directors member Rev. Tom Rodgers was the speaker and gave a spirited speech to encourage the graduates to make a difference in their community.

The graduates were required during the 16 weeks to select a topic and develop a Community Action Plan to be implemented to address the social determinants of health in the community. They selected Intimate Partner Violence as their Community Action Plan to focus on for the next 12 to 18 months.